The Vancouver Giants will host their division rivals, the Kamloops Blazers, on Sunday, February 21st at 5:00pm in the Pacific Coliseum. It’s the sixth time these two teams are facing off this season.
The Pacific Coliseum is a historic rink that has hosted the Giants since their inauguration in the 2001-02 season and held Canucks games before their move to General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena). Every seat in the house feels close to the ice, giving Coliseum visitors an intimate view of the Great Canadian Game without paying a fortune for it.
This closeness to the players and the game makes the experience so much more special for families, especially with young players of their own in tow. Dreams always seem more real if your heroes are relatable: some of the Giants are local boys that grew up skating on the same rinks as your sons, daughters, nephews, and nieces. Ty Ronning (#17) and Matt Barberis (24) played at the Burnaby Winter Club, Carter Popoff (#42) played for the Richmond Minor Hockey Association, Trevor Cox (#40) played for the Semiahmoo Minor Hockey Association, and Ryan Jones (#2) played in South Delta. It’s a beautiful experience to share.
That holds especially true in mild-wintered Vancouver. The backyard shinny that is a staple in so many families’ hockey traditions across Canada doesn’t often find a home in Vancouver. You can bet, though, that Vancouver families jump onto a local pond the moment it freezes with hockey sticks in hand, just like Canadians everywhere since our beginnings as a nation.
Whether or not you or a family member plays hockey, there’s an unmistakable sense of community with the Vancouver Giants. The games attract everyone: the young and the old, new Canadians just arrived to start fresh here, and Canadians whose roots are dug several generations deep into the land. For some, it’s their first ever hockey game witnessed live, and for so many more it’s a heavily ingrained tradition handed down from parent to child.
There’s something to be found for everyone: the avid hockey fans that know all the stats across the league and those who just want an evening out. And if you didn’t already know, White Spot offers a special Giants Family Pak: for $99 you get dinner and hockey tickets for four.
That means it’s really hard to find a reason not to go to a Giants game…
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